Rehabilitation or exercising chair device

ABSTRACT

An exercising chair device includes a chair member having a seat element, two handles pivotally attached to the upper and front side portions of the chair member and each having a shaft for engaging with an ankle portion of the user, two levers pivotally attached to the handle and each having a foot support attached to the lower portion, and two cables coupled between the levers and the chair member for applying a spring biasing force to pull the levers and the handles toward the feet of the user. The handles each include an extension adjustably attached to a lower portion of the handle and adjustable relative to the handle to different positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a rehabilitation or exercising chair device, and more particularly to a rehabilitation or exercising chair device including a structure or configuration for the disable persons to comfortably rehabilitate or exercise their legs and including a simplified structure or configuration that may be made or manufactured with a greatly decreased manufacturing cost.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various kinds of typical rehabilitation or exercising devices have been developed and provided for the disable persons to conduct or operate various kinds of exercises, and comprise a large number of the exercising devices for training or exercising the upper muscle groups and/or the lower or other muscle groups of the users.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,353 to Tench, U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,223 to McGorry et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 7,276,018 to Studdard disclose several of the typical rehabilitation or exercising devices each comprising a chair member for supporting the user thereon, and an exercising equipment or arrangement or the like disposed or attached or mounted or secured or formed or provided on the chair member for being actuated or operated by the user to train or exercise the upper muscle groups and/or the lower or other muscle groups of the users.

However, the typical rehabilitation or exercising devices comprise a complicated structure or configuration that may not be made or manufactured and may not be used for the disable persons to comfortably rehabilitate or exercise their legs or their lower muscle groups.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,056 to Cataldi, Jr. et al. discloses another of the typical rehabilitation or exercising device also comprising a chair member for supporting the user thereon, and an exercising equipment or arrangement or mechanism or the like is disposed or attached or mounted or secured or formed or provided on the chair member for being actuated or operated by the user to train or exercise the upper muscle groups and/or the lower or other muscle groups of the users.

However, the typical rehabilitation or exercising device is good for swinging the feet of the user, and does not provide any foot step or foot support for supporting the feet of the user such that the user may not bent and exercise his ankle portions, and may not suitably train or exercise the lower muscle groups of the user.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional rehabilitation or exercising devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a rehabilitation or exercising chair device including a structure or configuration for the disable persons to comfortably rehabilitate or exercise their legs and including a simplified structure or configuration that may be made or manufactured with a greatly decreased manufacturing cost.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a chair device comprising a chair member including a seat element provided thereon for supporting a user, and including two upper and front side portions, two handles each including an upper portion pivotally attached to the upper and front side portion of the chair member with a pivot axle for allowing the handles to be pivoted relative to the chair member, and the handles each including a shaft for engaging with an ankle portion of the user, two levers each including an intermediate portion pivotally attached to the handle with a pivot pin for allowing the levers to be pivoted relative to the handles respectively, and the levers each including a foot support attached to a lower portion of the lever respectively, and the levers each including an upper portion, and two cables coupled between the upper portions of the levers and the chair member for applying a spring biasing force to pull the levers and the handles toward the chair member or the user.

The chair member includes at least one retainer attached to the seat element and anchored and engaged with the cables. The handles each include a hand grip provided on top for being grasped or held by the user.

The handles each include an extension slidably and adjustably attached to a lower portion of the handle and adjustable relative to the handle for adjusting the extensions relative to the handles respectively, and the shafts are preferably extended from the extensions respectively.

The handles each include a fastener attached to the handle and engageable with the extension for adjustably securing the extension to the handle at different or selected position and for fitting the users of different sizes or heights.

The extensions each include a number of orifices formed therein for selectively engaging with the fastener. The levers are pivotally attached to lower portions of the extensions with the pivot pins respectively.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rehabilitation or exercising chair device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the rehabilitation or exercising chair device;

FIG. 3 is a side plan schematic view of the rehabilitation or exercising chair device; and

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 are side plan schematic views similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the operation of the rehabilitation or exercising chair device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a rehabilitation or exercising chair device in accordance with the present invention comprises a chair member 10 including a seat cushion or seat element 11 formed or provided or disposed thereon for supporting the user 8 thereon (FIGS. 3-6), and a seat back 12 disposed or attached or mounted or secured on the chair member 10 for supporting the back portion of the user 8. A pair of arm rests 13 may further be provided and disposed or attached or mounted or secured on the upper side portions 14 of the chair member 10 for being grasped or gripped or held by the user 8 and/or for supporting the upper portion of the user 8.

Two levers or bars or handles 20 each include an upper portion 21 pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or secured to the upper and front side portions 15 of the chair member 10 with a pivot axle 22 for allowing the handles 20 to be pivoted or rotated relative to the chair member 10, and each include a hand grip 23 formed or provided on top thereof for being grasped or gripped or held by the user 8 and/or for supporting the upper portion of the user 8 and for allowing the handles 20 to be pivoted or rotated or swung relative to chair member 10 by the user 8. It is preferable that the handles 20 each further include a sliding member or extension 24 slidably or adjustably attached or mounted or secured to the lower portion 25 of the respective handle 20 and adjustable relative to the respective handle 20.

For example, the extensions 24 each include one or more (such as three) holes or apertures or orifices 26 formed therein, and a latch or fastener 27 is attached or mounted or secured or engaged with the lower portion 25 of the respective handle 20 and engaged with either of the orifices 26 of the extensions 24 for adjustably attaching or mounting or securing or fastening the extensions 24 to the respective handles 20 at different positions or locations or extensions and for suitably fitting the users 8 of different sizes or dimensions or heights. The extensions 24 each further include a rod or pole or shaft 28 attached or mounted or secured to the lower portion 29 of the respective extensions 24 for selectively engaging with the ankle portions of the user 8 (FIGS. 3-6). It is to be noted that the extensions 24 may also be formed integral with the respective handles 20 and may be taken as a portion of the handles 20.

Two rods or poles or levers 30 are further provided and each include a middle or intermediate portion 31 pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or secured to the lower portion 29 of the respective extension 24 or of the handles 20 with a pivot pin 39 for allowing the levers 30 to be pivoted or rotated relative to the extensions 24 and the handles 20, the levers 30 each include a foot pedal or foot support 32 attached or mounted or secured to the lower portion 33 of the respective levers 30 for supporting the feet of the user 8, and each include a hook or catch or latch or anchor 34 attached or mounted or secured to the upper portion 35 of the respective levers 30 and connected or coupled to the chair member 10 with a resilient wire or cable 40.

For example, the cables 40 are connected or coupled between the anchors 34 of the levers 30 and the chair member 10 respectively for applying or exerting a spring biasing force to the levers 30 and thus the extensions 24 and/or the handles 20, and for pulling the levers 30 and thus the extensions 24 and/or the handles 20 toward the chair member 10 or the user 8. For example, the chair member 10 may include one or more hooks or catches or latches or anchors or retainers 17 attached or mounted or secured to the lower portion or bottom of the chair member 10 for connecting or coupling to the cables 40. The chair device includes a simplified structure that may be made or manufactured with a greatly decreased manufacturing cost.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 3, the ankle portions of the user 8 may be contacted or engaged with the shafts 28 of the extensions 24 or of the handles 20 for moving or pivoting or rotating or swinging the handles 20 relative to the chair member 10 (FIGS. 4, 6) in order to rehabilitate or train or exercise his upper legs or his lower muscle groups, and the user 8 may further step on the foot pedals or foot supports 32 (FIGS. 5, 6) for moving or pivoting or rotating the levers 30 relative to the extensions 24 and/or the handles 20 in order to further rehabilitate or train or exercise his lower legs or his lower muscle groups. It is to be noted that the cables 40 may be used for pulling both the levers 30 and thus the extensions 24 and the handles 20 toward the chair member 10 or the user 8.

Accordingly, the rehabilitation or exercising chair device in accordance with the present invention includes a structure or configuration for the disable persons to comfortably rehabilitate or exercise their legs and including a simplified structure or configuration that may be made or manufactured with a greatly decreased manufacturing cost.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

I claim:
 1. An exercising chair device comprising: a chair member including a seat element provided thereon for supporting a user, and including two upper and front side portions, two handles each including an upper portion pivotally attached to said upper and front side portion of said chair member with a pivot axle for allowing said handles to be pivoted relative to said chair member, and said handles each including a shaft for engaging with an ankle portion of the user, two levers each including an intermediate portion pivotally attached to said handle with a pivot pin for allowing said levers to be pivoted relative to said handles respectively, and said levers each including a foot support attached to a lower portion of said lever respectively, and said levers each including an upper portion, and two cables coupled between said upper portions of said levers and said chair member for applying a spring biasing force to said levers and said handles.
 2. The exercising chair device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said chair member includes at least one retainer attached to said seat element and engaged with said cables.
 3. The exercising chair device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handles each include a hand grip provided on top for being held by the user.
 4. The exercising chair device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handles each include an extension slidably and adjustably attached to a lower portion of said handle and adjustable relative to said handle, and said shafts are extended from said extensions respectively.
 5. The exercising chair device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said handles each include a fastener attached to said handle and engageable with said extension for adjustably securing said extension to said handle.
 6. The exercising chair device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said extensions each include a plurality of orifices formed therein for selectively engaging with said fastener.
 7. The exercising chair device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said levers are pivotally attached to lower portions of said extensions with said pivot pins respectively. 